Olfactory Snake-Predator Discrimination in the Cape Ground Squirrel

Ethology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 278-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly A. Phillips ◽  
Jane M. Waterman

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 378-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Pettitt ◽  
J. M. Waterman


2010 ◽  
Vol 180 (7) ◽  
pp. 1099-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy A. Wilson ◽  
M. Justin O’Riain ◽  
Robyn S. Hetem ◽  
Andrea Fuller ◽  
Linda G. Fick


2007 ◽  
Vol 274 (1622) ◽  
pp. 2169-2177 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Scantlebury ◽  
J.M Waterman ◽  
M Hillegass ◽  
J.R Speakman ◽  
N.C Bennett


2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Hofmannova ◽  
L. Mikes ◽  
L. Jedlickova ◽  
J. Pokorny ◽  
V. Svobodova

The tapeworm Taenia crassiceps has an indirect life cycle. Occasionally, metacestode stages have been reported from aberrant hosts as dogs, cats, lemurs and humans. This study describes an unusual series of serious cysticercosis cases: an 18-month-old male Yorkshire terrier dog with pleural cysticercosis accompanied by a cough, a 10-year-old male Shih Tzu dog with subcutaneous cysticercosis as well as a Cape ground squirrel and a Senegal bushbaby, both with generalised cysticercosis. Surgery was successful only in the Shih Tzu. The Yorkshire terrier died a few hours after surgery, while the Cape ground squirrel was euthanised and the Senegal bushbaby died before surgery. Cysticerci from the four cases were identified morphologically and using molecular methods. Fragments of genes coding for cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 were sequenced for each of the four isolates. Their affiliation to T. crassiceps was confirmed by comparison with the sequence data of other isolates available in the GenBank database. In general, the comparison of sequences of all isolates showed low variability in nucleotide composition (at most five positions). The cases from captive zoo animals represent the first findings of T. crassiceps in the Cape ground squirrel and Senegal bushbaby. The optimal treatment of cysticercosis caused by T. crassiceps remains unclear. Successful attempts usually include extensive surgical interventions and prolonged anthelmintic treatment. Chemotherapeutic options are limited. Although regular deworming targeting intestinal helminths of dogs is not effective against T. crassiceps cysticerci, it may help to prevent contamination of the environment by tapeworm eggs contained in dog faeces and reduce the risk of infection for susceptible animals and humans.



1984 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert F. Bennett ◽  
Raymond B. Huey ◽  
Henry John-Alder ◽  
Kenneth A. Nagy


2009 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 625-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.E. Unck ◽  
J.M. Waterman ◽  
L. Verburgt ◽  
P.W. Bateman




Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (12-13) ◽  
pp. 1735-1758 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Phillips ◽  
J.M. Waterman

Predator harassment is an anti-predator behaviour that may increase an individual’s risk of predation, as individuals approach, threaten and harass a potential predator, yet this behaviour is still not well understood. The Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) is a highly social facultative cooperative breeder from southern Africa that harasses several species of venomous snakes. We examined whether harassment was part of alloparental care by comparing harassment behaviours among different age and sex classes in Cape ground squirrel social groups. We also assessed how individuals adjusted their behaviour dependent on levels of risk by examining the Cape ground squirrel’s harassment behaviour among non-venomous, and two species of venomous snakes. We found adult females with emerged juvenile offspring took the most risk, harassing for longer durations and at higher intensities than other group members, suggesting that snake harassment was a maternal behaviour. Females with juvenile offspring only harassed the highest risk elapid snake but increased vigilance and inspection with increasing snake risk suggesting that the Cape ground squirrel can discriminate between different types of snake predators.



2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (5) ◽  
pp. 1162-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius van der Merwe ◽  
Joel S. Brown


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document